Polkit privilege escalation via PAM environment injection
Published Jul 23, 2025 · Updated Jun 30, 2026
Privilege escalation in SUSE pam-config before 1.1.8-24.71.1 allows local users to gain allow_active Polkit authorization via SSH. pam_env reads attacker-controlled XDG_SEAT and XDG_VTNR values from ~/.pam_environment before pam_systemd creates the SSH session, causing it to classify that session as physically active. An unprivileged account with SSH access can invoke Polkit actions reserved for console users, including permitted system-control operations.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in SUSE pam-config before 1.1.8-24.71.1 allows local users to gain allow_active Polkit authorization via SSH. pam_env reads attacker-controlled XDG_SEAT and XDG_VTNR values from ~/.pam_environment before pam_systemd creates the SSH session, causing it to classify that session as physically active. An unprivileged account with SSH access can invoke Polkit actions reserved for console users, including permitted system-control operations.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-6018
- Published
- Jul 23, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 30, 2026
- Vendor
- NeuVector
- Product
- pam-config
- Classifications
- CWE-863, T1548
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 23, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 30, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <1.1.8-24.71.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- Linux PAM Environment Variable Injection Local Privilege Escalationfunctional · validated
- Qualys SUSE PAM allow_active proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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